La Sardina for Starters - Remember the Twist and Pull!

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This is a short, simple and indispensable Tipster for new La Sardina owners. Specifically, those who are frustrated by the fact that their new 35mm darling refuses to shoot or synch with the flash. The probable cause? You haven’t pulled out the lens and twisted it until you see ‘Only Shoot If You Read Me’ text on the lens. And remember to twist the lens until you hear that magical ‘click’ sound – when you hear the click, you can be confident that your flash will fire when you shoot! Read on for a step-by-step guide to getting your La Sardina ready for its first photo outing…

Make sure that the collapsible lens is pulled out so you can read the ‘Only Shoot If You Read Me’ text on the lens. If the lens is not pulled out, your shutter will be locked.
Lock the lens well in its Ready-To-Shoot position – To do this, after you’ve pulled the lens out, twist it around until it clicks – When you hear the ‘click’, your attached flash should synch with the camera.
For testing without film and back-cover, please be so kind to turn the advancing gear till it is locked in its position (to the right)
To keep the Shutter open for a longer period you can activate the “B” Mode (in front of the View Finder)

More About the La Sardina

Get ready to sail the high seas with our new La Sardina collection! These 35mm cameras are equipped with spectacular wide-angle lens, multiple exposure capabilities, and a rewind dial—everything you need for fun-filled and thrill-soaked escapades. Get your own La Sardina camera now!

written by tomas_bates on 2012-02-17 #gear #tutorials #tipster #flash #twist #pull #la-sardina #shutter-problem #how-to-shoot #synch

14 Likes

themonstersunderyourbed, qalbi, jelencitta, peeciella, skrutt, zoe191, eva_eva, awastedland, neanderthalis, domo-guy, jezzyjung, gelibee, pomps & photochrom.

19 Comments

caritademelba · 2012-02-01 02:49
totally agree ! I got tha problem in my first 2 films, 36 each!!
saysaysay · 2012-02-01 08:14
another tip for everyone - you can test that it syncs with the flash properly by flicking the MX switch, then you will be able to click the shutter to test the camera :)
shangwei · 2012-02-03 05:43
the flash don't always work, even when everything is is place. sometimes i have to twist a bit here and there before it work.
bongo_biene · 2012-02-05 10:43
turn until you her the klick, i fucked up a whole roll
mrsjthurston · 2012-02-13 12:18
Amen! Lost about two thirds of my first roll because I didn't twist the lens all the way to clicking point!
gelibee · 2012-02-15 11:50
Remember to turn until you hear it CLICK! and it will work it's magic! ;)
skrutt · 2012-02-17 10:53
Dont have a Sardina, but I want one. And will remember this tip! Thanks alot! :)
shyvioletisme · 2012-02-21 03:04
I have done this and most of my roll still turned out black...well not black actually but "foggy" as the guy at the processing place told me. Foggy enough that the pictures didn't turn out. I got 6 useable photos out of 36 shots (apparently from the middle section of film, strangely enough). I don't know at this point whether it's a film issue, or a defect with my specific camera. Anyone got any thoughts or suggestions? I've only had the camera less than 2 weeks and I'm about ready to give up on it.
gelibee · 2012-02-24 05:26
Hallo! @shyvioletisme Did you try to take your La Sardina out for a walk during bright sunny days? :) If you need more help shoot us an email at customerservice@lomography.com :) Cheerio!
personanongrata · 2012-02-29 00:09
@shyvioletisme, be sure that the photos are the only thing foggy...if the clear part of the negative around the sprocket holes is foggy you have some kind of a light leak in the camera and should take it to get check out, if not you'll need to do what @gelibee said and wait for the sun to come out so you can take your camera on an adventure. Keep in mind that your film speed (100, 400, 800 etc...) will affect the quality of the photo under different lighting conditions...the higher the number the more sensitive to light it will be and the better it will be in low light. 400 is usually a good middle ground, just make sure you have a flash attached if you want your photos to be sharp and free of blurriness at night...
shyvioletisme · 2012-03-08 14:30
@gelibee & @personanongrata, thanks for the tips. The next roll I took turned out just fine, so I"m not sure what the issue was the one roll. But I am keeping an eye on it just in case!!
gelibee · 2012-03-09 06:13
@shyvioletisme Oh that's great! Will you keep me updated? :) Thank you!
abby-g · 2012-04-01 22:49
Hey guys, this article was really informative but my problem still isn't fixed. I just got my La Sardina, it's the Cubic from the new patterned editions that comes with the flash attatchement. I don't know if these instructions work for this camera as well, or if maybe my camera has a defect. I tested the flash by itself and it works, but it doesn't flash with the camera. I twisted and pulled the lens until I saw the "Only shoot if you read me" sign but there is no click. Is that the problem? I see the sign perfectly but it doesn't make the clicking sound so could it be a defect?
gelibee · 2012-04-04 10:39
Hi @abby-g, did you check to see if the shutter is working too? Please drop us a line here: account.lomography.com/help Thank you!
fbueller · 2012-04-20 14:42
My Sardina Splendour arrived yesterday, and it looks liek the lens is already pulled out, but there isn't any writing on it. I remember reading that some models may not need the twist-and-pull method with the lens, and am wondering if that's the case with the Splendour? I've twisted it pretty hard, and it hasn't budged, and I don't want to break anything. Any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
marmar26 · 2013-02-17 07:33
Hi, I just got a Sardina Mobius yesterday, like fbueller the lens already came pulled out AND there isn't writing on it AND when I press the shutter with the back removed it's not opening at all. I've also used all my strength to twist it but have read that new models already come locked in position. Can someone help?? I don't want to waste an entire roll of film on a shutter that doesn't work.
sombranegra · 2013-10-06 06:38
Is my Sardina the only one that doesn't have the twist and pull?
iamtheju · 2014-03-21 20:24
I have an old La Sardina Domino and a new star covered one i got at UO.com...
The old model has the twisting lens and the writing, so you have to make sure you can see it. Also it has some flash issues where the flash doesn't fire first time (when this happens just flick the MX switch and fire again and it works every time)
The new model has a fixed lens section and is always out, there is no need for any writing, so that is missing also. The flash always works with this model which is nice.

I am assuming that LSI have changed the design to avoid flash sync issues and also wear and tear issues with the internal parts of the foldable/twistable lens (mine now has a lot of plastic dust from lots of use) although admitting this would be admitting that the original has problems, so i doubt it will happen.
I only really use my Domino as it will fit in my pocket thanks to the folding lens. I would recommend buying an old model if you can as the folding lens is one of the la Sardinas best features. If you are unsure which have the old lens just look at the pictures in the shop (almost all of the old models include a shot of the "only shoot if you can read this" text.)
ruifbacelar · 2018-12-06 13:54
Hi there, I have a La Sardina Czar Edition, all metal on the outside and I can't sinc with the flash no matter what.
The flash itself works fine - pressing the green LED on the TOP.
Camera is on the proper working position - Twist right - pull out - twist Left - Click.
When I press the shutter - no flash. Been trying to sinc it with the MX mode and no success.